Tostitos Cheesy Chicken Taco Dip

If you love salsa and cheesy tacos, this dip is for you. It tastes like a cheesy taco dipped in creamy salsa. That’s the best way I can describe it.

I partnered with the fine folks over at Tostitos to create this recipe, and I’m SO excited to share it with you! I’ve been a longtime fan for years, and their salsa is still a staple in my kitchen and at parties. I find it to be the most consistent, in taste and texture. Every now and again I’ll crave a thinner restaurant-style salsa, but they make that too. I just prefer the original, and I use the “Medium” heat level pretty exclusively. If you’re a little sensitive to heat, switch over to Mild. No shame in that game.

The other thing I’m loving about this recipe? How easy it is. I made the chicken in my Instant Pot (recipe cards below!), and after that it’s literally a dump and bake situation. To cut down on time even more, you can also just buy pre-cooked chicken breasts or make them your own way, just be sure to add the seasonings if you buy them plain!

I also need to make a strong case for grating the cheese yourself. I think some brands do an OK job of making pre-shredded cheese that isn’t plastic-y or powder-y, but a lot of them don’t melt as nicely as when you grate it yourself. So if you can, buy the blocks of cheese and grate. You’ll be surprised how quickly you get a cup of that stuff, it doesn’t even take much elbow grease.

Make this for your 4th of July BBQ feast! You won’t be sorry 🙂

Tostitos Cheesy Chicken Taco Dip

4 cups cooked, shredded chicken breasts (recipe to follow if you want to make them yourself in the Instant Pot!)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 cup Tostitos Medium Salsa

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (freshly grated)

3/4 cup shredded cheddar (freshly grated)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Place shredded chicken in a medium-large oven-safe dish. Something deep enough to dip, mine is about 2-3 inches deep. Sprinkle all spices and salt over the top of the chicken and toss to coat.

Pour the cup of salsa on top of the chicken, then drop the cream cheese (in cubes/dollops) all over the top. Add the Monterey jack cheese on top and DON’T MIX YET. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and carefully mix everything together. It will be all hot, melty and wonderful. Add the cheddar cheese on top and broil (uncovered) for 5-6 minutes until desired bubbly brown cheese is achieved!

Grab some Tostitos and get dunking!

This post was written in partnership with Tostitos. All opinions (and bad jokes) are my own.

Instant Pot Shredded Mexican Chicken Breasts

A simple recipe for Mexican-seasoned chicken breasts. I use this recipe for shredded chicken tacos and dips!

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

2 tbspExtra Virgin Olive Oil

3Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1tspGarlic powder

1tsp Onion powder

1/2tsp Chili Powder

1/2tspCumin

1tspKosher salt

1cupChicken broth

Instructions

Set Instant Pot to Saute Mode. When hot, add olive oil and chicken breasts. Brown on all sides, being careful not to receive the dreaded "Burn" message on the front of the Instant Pot. "Burn" means there are bits stuck to the bottom of the pot, which will be fixed once you add the chicken broth, so don't fret. If you get the "Burn" message, just add the chicken broth and scrape up as much of the bits as you can.

Add seasonings right on top. Switch Instant Pot to "Pressure Cook – Normal" mode and make sure the float valve is set to "sealed". Set the timer for 10 minutes. When the time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 2-3 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure by switching the valve to "vent".

Remove chicken breasts from the pot and shred with two forks or meat claws. Add back to pot with the juices if you're not using it right away. If using it for a dip, add to casserole dish and just spoon some of the juice over the top. You can save the rest for stock!